Official Top 75 Rush songs Thread!!! (Top 2 revealed!!)

[MrMike]

Bravado - Didn't rank, but I've come to like it more after hearing it live a few times.  Alex delivers a great solo.

LTTA - 14.  Love this one almost as much as my two favorite Rush instrumentals.  That bass line never fails to get me moving.

Witch Hunt - 20.  Always been a favorite, but I wish it didn't end so abruptly.  Even live, Alex never stretched the ending solo out which I never understood.

By-Tor - 19.  Quirky tune that has really grown on me over the years.  Would be even better without that near minute of silence.

[The Realm]

39 Witch Hunt
Appeared on 19 of 25 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 1
Highest Ranking: 2 (Setlist Scotty)

38 By-Tor and the Snow Dog
Appeared on 15 of 25 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 5 (Dream Team)

Witch Hunt - my rank 35. Always loved this tune, great vibe and atmosphere.

By-Tor - my rank 50.

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

39 Witch Hunt
Appeared on 19 of 25 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 1
Highest Ranking: 2 (Setlist Scotty)

The highest ranked song from the Fear trilogy!  Great, great song, one I put at 26.  The atmosphere in this one is pretty incredible, and Neil penned some terrific lyrics in this one.


38 By-Tor and the Snow Dog
Appeared on 15 of 25 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 5 (Dream Team)

Not surprised to see this one all over the map, as it seems to be a love or not like so much song amongst the younger fans (meanwhile, nearly every Rush fan I have known who was a fan since the 70s or early 80s considers this a top 10 Rush tune).  I am a big fan, placing it at 22.  The jam in the middle is incredible.

Witch Hunt - This one dropped in at #43 for me. Just a great atmospheric tune. I first heard this when I was 5 or 6 years old. I used to borrow my dad's copy of Moving Pictures when I was young and listen to it all the time. This song really stood out at that age as just being so different from anything else I ever heard at the time.

By-Tor and the Snowdog - Another one I'm surprised I didn't get highest rank on. I only had it at #16. The studio version is great. The AtWaS version is beyond epic! Then the Different Stages version brought a metal edge to it. I've loved every incarnation of this song.

[KevShmev]

I had Witch Hunt at #26. Same as Kev!
 

[KevShmev]

Here is today's update!

37 Grand Designs
Appeared on 18 of 25 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 8 (DTA)

I had this at 32, but didn't think it would finish nearly as high as this.  Guess there are more Power Windows fans here than I thought (see: smart Rush fans ).


36 Anthem
Appeared on 18 of 25 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 1
Highest Ranking: 10 (MrMike)

As this was the first song on the first Rush album with Neil on drums, he announced his presence in kick ass fashion. Killer song that has held up well.  I had it at 49.

[nick_z]

Here is today's update!

37 Grand Designs
Appeared on 18 of 25 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 8 (DTA)

I had this at 32, but didn't think it would finish nearly as high as this.  Guess there are more Power Windows fans here than I thought (see: smart Rush fans ).


36 Anthem
Appeared on 18 of 25 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 1
Highest Ranking: 10 (MrMike)

As this was the first song on the first Rush album with Neil on drums, he announced his presence in kick ass fashion. Killer song that has held up well.  I had it at 49.

Grand Design (ranked #27)

Smart Rush fan here! 
Just a great song. Love the melodies, and the ever-evolving drum patterns in the different verses and chorus (and in the song's coda!)

Anthem (didn't make top 75, had it at #82)

After By-Tor, this was the other tune from Fly By Night JUST outside my top 75. A bit of a shame, really, as it's pretty great. As you said, Neil in on fire, as if he were saying "Here I am!".

[romdrums]

37. Grand Designs (25).  Great song.  I love the big, bright synths on this.  Power Windows, in general, has some of the best synth and keyboard work of the 80s.  And, of course, Neil's drumming is spectacular.

36. Anthem (N/A).  Another solid early song that I ended up ranking outside of my top 75.  I think it came in at number 90.  Great introduction for Neil into the band.

[Deadeye21]

Here is today's update!

37 Grand Designs
Appeared on 18 of 25 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 8 (DTA)

36 Anthem
Appeared on 18 of 25 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 1
Highest Ranking: 10 (MrMike)

Grand Designs arrived at 67 on my list, but I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT, much as I do the rest of Power Windows (with the exception of Emotion Detector).

Anthem arrived at number 20. Explosive, rockin, and a hell of an intro for the second lineup of Rush.

[HOF]

Grand Designs is a brilliant song! It came in at 11 for me. Love the brightness of the arrangement, programmed keys and all, but it’s the lyrics that propel it this high. “So much poison in power, the principle gets left out. So much mind on the matter, the spirit gets forgotten about.” Sooo good. I do really like Alex’s playing on this. Actually reminds me of The Edge on the verses. Like all of PW, an outstanding middle section with a great solo by Alex. And of course the drumming is stellar. So much momentum coming out of the instrumental section into the last chorus and the outro. I moved this one in and out of my top 10 a few times while finalizing my rankings, and it could have been as high as 7 or 8, but ended up just outside instead.

Anthem did not rank, but it’s one of their better early rockers for sure.

[King Postwhore]

I'm behind and need to play catch up tonight.  Weird thing about Grand Designs was that Rush played it as the 1st encore on the Power Windows tour.  It felt out of place back then. 

[TAC]

I'm behind and need to play catch up tonight.  Weird thing about Grand Designs was that Rush played it as the 1st encore on the Power Windows tour.  It felt out of place back then.

It sure as hell did.

[King Postwhore]

I'm behind and need to play catch up tonight.  Weird thing about Grand Designs was that Rush played it as the 1st encore on the Power Windows tour.  It felt out of place back then.

It sure as hell did.

It would have been great in the set.  Not as an encore.

[The Letter M]

I'm behind and need to play catch up tonight.  Weird thing about Grand Designs was that Rush played it as the 1st encore on the Power Windows tour.  It felt out of place back then.

It was the 2nd encore song, sandwiched between "2112 Overture/The Temples Of Syrinx" and "In The Mood", which was even weirder. AFAIK, it was the only time a new song was used in the encore (but I could be wrong on that, I'm too lazy to double check).

-Marc.

[King Postwhore]

You may be right.  My memory isn't as good as it was 37 years ago. 

[The Letter M]

You may be right.  My memory isn't as good as it was 37 years ago. 

 

Well I doubled checked setlist.fm to confirm its place in the encore, but also having done the Rush Tourography thread several years ago here, I was already pretty sure.

It's interesting that they kept the encore almost exactly the same for the HYF tour but swapped out "Grand Designs" for the more classic "La Villa Strangiato".

-Marc.

[King Postwhore]

I have a vivid memory of traveling through a blizzard for the 2nd night of the HYF tour and my buddy was mad at me for not telling him the lasers were in 3D colors and he would have brought his glasses.  He also asked a information both in a mall across the street from the venue if they knew the diameter of the sun.  the guy at the booth asked him why he wanted to know that.  My buddy then said, "Well, isn't this an information booth?!" 

That dude yelled at us to take off in a not so subtle way.

[TAC]

I'm behind and need to play catch up tonight.  Weird thing about Grand Designs was that Rush played it as the 1st encore on the Power Windows tour.  It felt out of place back then.

It was the 2nd encore song, sandwiched between "2112 Overture/The Temples Of Syrinx" and "In The Mood", which was even weirder. AFAIK, it was the only time a new song was used in the encore (but I could be wrong on that, I'm too lazy to double check).

-Marc.

Well, whatever. It was still out of place.

[KevShmev]

Cinderella Man was the only encore on the tour for A Farewell to Kings.

And I think Red Lenses was part of the encore on the Grace Under Pressure tour.

[nick_z]

I was THRILLED when they dug out so many Power Windows songs (including Grand Designs) on the Clockwork Angels tour. Such a treat 

[King Postwhore]

Red Lenses was odd as well.  For it's placement.

I was THRILLED when they dug out so many Power Windows songs (including Grand Designs) on the Clockwork Angels tour. Such a treat 

I saw the opening night of the CA tour and had no idea.  I was texting my buddies who were in other seats like teenagers hearing songs live for the 1st time since the 80's.

[The Letter M]

Cinderella Man was the only encore on the tour for A Farewell to Kings.

And I think Red Lenses was part of the encore on the Grace Under Pressure tour.

You're correct. I guess I'm still brain-tired, but that all checks out. So they've done encores with new songs three times - AFTK, GUP, and POW, and two are some of my favorite Rush albums!

-Marc.

[pg1067]

37 Grand Designs
Appeared on 18 of 25 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 8 (DTA)

I had this at 32, but didn't think it would finish nearly as high as this.  Guess there are more Power Windows fans here than I thought (see: smart Rush fans ).

Bleh.  The "against the run of the mill" part is cool, but that's about it.  I had it at #122.

36 Anthem
Appeared on 18 of 25 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 1
Highest Ranking: 10 (MrMike)

As this was the first song on the first Rush album with Neil on drums, he announced his presence in kick ass fashion. Killer song that has held up well.  I had it at 49.

I've gone up and down over the years with this song.  An early favorite because of how metal it is, but I kind of got bored with it after a while.  It's had a bit of a resurgence for me with it being a staple of YYNOT's live set.  I had it at #52.  I'll be surprised if this isn't the last song we see from FBN.


The Score So Far
Rush - 1 song (Working Man - #56)
Fly by Night - 3 songs (Fly by Night - #70; By-Tor and the Snow Dog - #38; Anthem - #36)
Caress of Steel - 2 songs (The Necromancer - #67; Bastille Day - #59)
2112 - 2 songs (Something for Nothing - #63; A Passage to Bangkok - #58)
A Farewell to Kings - 1 song (Closer to the Heart - #43)
Hemispheres - 1 song (Circumstances - #45)
Permanent Waves - 2 songs (Different Strings - #57; Entre Nous - #53)
Moving Pictures - 2 songs (Vital Signs - #51; Witch Hunt - #38)
Signals - 4 songs (Countdown - #68; New World Man - #54; The Weapon - #48; Digital Man - #47)
Grace Under Pressure - 1 song (The Enemy Within - #49)
Power Windows - 2 song (Emotion Detector - #66; Grand Designs - #37)
Hold Your Fire - 4 songs (Prime Mover - #73; Open Secrets - #72; Force Ten - #50; Mission - #44)
Presto - 2 songs (Presto - #69; Show Don't Tell - #64)
Roll the Bones - 3 songs (Roll the Bones - #75; Ghost of a Chance - #52; Bravado - #41)
Counterparts - 5 songs (Double Agent - #74; Everyday Glory - #65; Cut to the Chase - #61; Cold Fire - #60; Leave That Thing Alone - #40)
Test for Echo - 2 songs (Test for Echo - #71; Driven - #62)
Vapor Trails - NO SONGS
Snakes & Arrows - NO SONGS
Clockwork Angels - 3 songs (Clockwork Angels - #55; Headlong Flight - #46; Caravan - #42)

[devieira73]

37 Grand Designs (-) - It didn't rank, but I do think it's a really good song. Those programmed keyboards annoys me just a bit, as it happens in some songs on PoW and HYF. Great bass lines and the usual solo section top notch from PoW.

36 Anthem (#25) - What a intro!! And to think that it came from one of the first jams when they met NP, it was really a strong sign of the great things that were to come... How in the hell Alex wasn't convinced right away that NP was THE guy?!

[TAC]

37 Grand Designs
Appeared on 18 of 25 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 8 (DTA)

36 Anthem
Appeared on 18 of 25 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 1
Highest Ranking: 10 (MrMike)

I had Grand Designs as Not Rated. I think it's awful, honestly, and it's not the kind of Rush that I like.

I had Anthem at #41. Really cool song.

[pg1067]

37 Grand Designs
Appeared on 18 of 25 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 8 (DTA)

I had Grand Designs as Not Rated. I think it's awful, honestly, and it's not the kind of Rush that I like.

What's worse is that it's ranked at #37 and is only the second ranked POW song  to this point.  I'm dreading the possibility/probability that 6 of the top 35 songs will be POW songs.

[romdrums]

37 Grand Designs
Appeared on 18 of 25 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 8 (DTA)

I had Grand Designs as Not Rated. I think it's awful, honestly, and it's not the kind of Rush that I like.

What's worse is that it's ranked at #37 and is only the second ranked POW song  to this point.  I'm dreading the possibility/probability that 6 of the top 35 songs will be POW songs.

You willing to put Big Money on that? 

[HOF]

37 Grand Designs
Appeared on 18 of 25 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 8 (DTA)

I had Grand Designs as Not Rated. I think it's awful, honestly, and it's not the kind of Rush that I like.

What's worse is that it's ranked at #37 and is only the second ranked POW song  to this point.  I'm dreading the possibility/probability that 6 of the top 35 songs will be POW songs.

Grand Designs and Emotion Detector were the two I worried wouldn’t make it, so I’m liking the thought of all 8 ranking and 6 in the top 40!

[King Postwhore]

Watching Tim and pg bemoan tickles me. Lol

[The Letter M]

37 Grand Designs
Appeared on 18 of 25 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 8 (DTA)

I had Grand Designs as Not Rated. I think it's awful, honestly, and it's not the kind of Rush that I like.

What's worse is that it's ranked at #37 and is only the second ranked POW song  to this point.  I'm dreading the possibility/probability that 6 of the top 35 songs will be POW songs.

Grand Designs and Emotion Detector were the two I worried wouldn’t make it, so I’m liking the thought of all 8 ranking and 6 in the top 40!

The question is - how many complete Rush albums will feature in this Top 75? I figured all of Hemispheres, Permanent Waves, Moving Pictures, and Power Windows would. What about Signals? 2112? A Farewell To Kings? I haven't been keeping track, but I think pg has, so I'm interested in seeing how that goes.

-Marc.

[KevShmev]

Watching Tim and pg bemoan tickles me. Lol

Every time a Power Windows song is featured going forward, I may make it the only song to be featured that day.  If they are going to bitch and moan about it every time, might as well not distract from the other song(s) to get featured that day. 

[nick_z]

The question is - how many complete Rush albums will feature in this Top 75? I figured all of Hemispheres, Permanent Waves, Moving Pictures, and Power Windows would. What about Signals? 2112? A Farewell To Kings? I haven't been keeping track, but I think pg has, so I'm interested in seeing how that goes.

-Marc.

I'd say Hemispheres (Circumstances was the potentially shaky one, I guess, and that's already in there), Permanent Waves (especially so with Entre Nous and Different Strings already in there), Moving Pictures (unless The Camera Eye doesn't make it?).

Power Windows has a good chance. Not sure about Signals at this point (Chemistry?). Also doubt A Farewell to Kings will be 100% represented (Madrigal?). I'm pretty sure 2112 won't be.

[nick_z]

Temp ranking of the albums as of Kev's last update (i.e. with 35 songs to go):

This assigns to each song in the aggregate ranking a score using the same convention used to generate the top 75 (#75--> 1 point, #74--> 2 points etc.)

1   Signals   87
2   Clockwork Angels   85
3   Fly By Night   84
4   Counterparts   80
5   Hold Your Fire   65
6   Moving Pictures   62
7   Roll the Bones   60
8   Power Windows   49
9   Permanent Waves   42
10   A Farewell to Kings   33
11   2112   31
12   Hemispheres   31
13   Grace Under Pressure   27
14   Caress of Steel   26
15   Rush   20
16   Presto   19
17   Test for Echo   19
18   Vapor Trails   0
19   Snake and Arrows   0


Of course, the heavy hitters (worth big points) are coming...

[TAC]

You guys are gonna piss Kevin off if you continue with this.

[MrMike]

37 Grand Designs
Appeared on 18 of 25 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 8 (DTA)



36 Anthem
Appeared on 18 of 25 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 1
Highest Ranking: 10 (MrMike)

Grand Designs - 21.  One of those late growers that I didn't get initially.  I even saw Rush on the PoW tour and it did nothing for me back then.  But when they brought it back for the CA tour, it suddenly resonated and has since become my favorite from that album.  Same thing happened with The Body Electric.

Anthem - 10.  Yay, I'm finally high on something.  LOVE Anthem!  One of my favorite Alex riffs and Neil immediately begins elevating his new band to the next level.

[nick_z]

You guys are gonna piss Kevin off if you continue with this.

You are probably right 

Apologies, Kev - I'll keep doing this privately, within the confines of my own, um, spreadsheets